Saturday, June 26, 2010

Before we can tell you about India Night,we have to introduce you to our new friend Karishma. Karishma is Hindu from South Africa. Her ancestry is from India. She has been a Medical Student here in Hungary for the last six years. This week she graduates with her Medical Degree. Her long term passion is in the field of pediatric heart surgery.

WithoutKarishma there would not have been a India Night. She was India Night.

She so wanted her homeland of India to have representation. So in excitement she volunteered to take take the project on.

After spending an entire day on meal preparation we were treated to a full course meal of Indian cuisine.....and yes including a little curry, topped off with a rice pudding desert.

Then the action started. Indian dancing instruction, complete with projected India production music video

We were pleasantly surprised. most of the young women donned their sarape'sand eagerly joined the festivities.

And yes, the guys joined in as well.

Kashmira brought a fellow student friend Hanna as well. She is from Norway. Sister Rollingson

gives a brief first missionary discussion.

Including the Branch President and the Missionaries, 29 people attended. The Young adult members do such a great job of getting their non member friends involved. 16 were non members. Many of those are taking the missionary lessons or soon will be. We consider this

activity to be our most successful to date. Karishma....we could not have done it without you.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Thursday, June 17, 2010

June 17, 2010; HeatherYesterday day we drove to Budapest for our Zone conference. Zone conferences are always wonderful, motivating experiences. We gain so much from the enthusiasm of the young missionaries, just being with them is like a shot of adrenaline. We always have great training from President and Sister Baughman and the Assistants and we leave with renewed desire to serve better.

This Zone conference was particularly inspiring because Elder Caussé, First Councilor in the Europe Area Presidency, was there to give us additional training. He is originally from the south of France and has been a Seventy for 2 years. He is about the same age as our son in law, Steve Deyholos, who served in France. He taught us for nearly 4 hours with great power and wisdom. He used the Scriptures to help us find answers to the questions we had about missionary work. He also shared some personal stories that were very inspiring. One of the first questions he asked us was to think about the reasons we are serving as missionaries and what our service means to us. It was a very thought provoking question and the young missionaries gave many good answers. One of the points he made was for us to forget about ourselves and learn to focus on those we serve and serve them with unconditional and universal love. If we have confidence in the Savior miracles will happen. Elder Caussé was so kind as to let us take his picture with us.

We had a spiritual feast provided by the Baughman's and Elder Caussé. We also had a feast of great lasagna provided by Sisters Baughman, Garner, Wade and Harris! Norm was excited to have real lasagna! There is a great deal of work that goes into putting on a Zone conference!

We said good by to Elder Golze and welcomed Elders Gardenhire and Diamond. We miss Elder Golze's smile and piano talent!

Elder Gardenhire and Elder Diamond are from Utah. They are great Elders and we enjoy working with them.

We have a new Senior couple that just arrived from Meridian, Idaho, the Folsters. We were able to meet them briefly at Zone Conference yesterday. They are going to serve in Eger. We are looking forward to getting to know them soon and wish them well in their service.

It is always great to see the Garners and Sisters Wade and Harris and Elder Recksiek when we go to Budapest.

Monday, June 7, 2010

June 7,2010 Norm.Every morning at the crack of dawn, we have this pigeon (actually a dove) that somehow thinks it is related to a roaster and has the mandate to let us know that morning has come....NAGYON SZÉP!!....NAGYON SZÉP.....Now I have no objection to being told that its a beautiful day (thats the NAGYON SZÉP translation,) but what really gets my shorts in a knot is how this *@%#* pigeon creature with a brain no bigger than my ginko-biloba pill, speaks such good Hungarian. Mind you its speach is limited, but so is mine and I'm supposed to be of the supperior species.We have been told that the Hungarian language has tribal origins and competes with Manderine as the toughest language to learn, but the pigeons can do it and you should hear the little children. Yet I am convinced that even the older adults are still learning as not two people can agree on what is really correct. They say 3-5% of Hungarians speak English. I would down grade that by saying that only 3-5% speak a little English. Fluent English speakers probably number less than 1%. Hungarian is spoken only in Hungary. My own experience in learning the language I refer to as "The Parable of the Sive"......learn two words and next day forget two words. Sorry Tim!This last Sunday was my first opportunity to conduct the Sacrament Meeting. With the help of a cheat sheet, I was able to do so and bear testimony in Magyarul. I felt blessed when no one got up and left yet some snickered and rolled their eyes. Thats the beauty of them all being such good friends, and they all said such kind things . ........at least I think they said kind things!!And as the pigeon says.............Have a NAGYON SZÉP day!!